Electric switch.



B. G. WEBSTER. ELECTRIC SW ITGH. VAPPLIUATIOH FILED HAY 20, 1909.

Patented Sept.6,1910.

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ELEGTRIG- SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 20, 1900.

-. Patented Se t. 6, 1910.

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ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 20, 1909.

htented Sept. 6, 1910.

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ATTORAIE Y8 BENJAMIN CHESTER \VEBSTER, F BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 6, 1910.

Application filed May 20, 1909. Serial No. 497,159.

To all. whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN Cnssrnn VVEBSTER, u citizen of the United States, and a resident of Bridgeport, in the county of Fair-field and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and Improved Electric Switch, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to electric switches,' 1 my more particular purpose being to provide. an improved type of so-called snap switch, possessing certain structural advan tages whereby its eliiciency' is greatly iii-- creased.

More particularly stated, my invention comprehends a switch having a revoluble shaft which is turned step by step by the depression of a button by hand, and connected with the revoluble shaft are certain parts of improved construction for bringing the contact members into and out of engagement with each other under conditions hisuring reliability and certainty of action.

.My invention further relates to various details of construction looking toward the general improvement of the eficiency of switches.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part or" this specifi- Y cation, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the -figures.

Figure 1 is a substantially central longi' tudinal section through the switch casing, showing the various movable and stationary parts; Fig. 2 a cross section through the some; Fig. 3 a detail showing the revoluble shaft carrying av cam disk and associ- -ated with other parts for the purpose of- AO periodically locking and releasing the commutator in order to enable the latter to turn quickly, step by step, and always in the same direction; Fig. 4; is a detail. plan view showing the commutator complete; Fig. 5 is 5 a longitudinal section upon the line 5--5 of Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the 1113-- rows; Fig. (3 is a fragmentary sectionthrough the revoluble shaft and parts as sociated therewith for the purpose of en abling the step by step movement of the Qshaft to periodically actuate the commututor; and. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary elevation showing the means whereby the rotation of the shaft uctustes the indicator.

A cssin made of insulating m: and hnv the of provided with apertures 8 and within the latter are screw heads 9 integral with screws 10 which detuchably engage threaded sleevcs 11,. these sleeves being secured rigidly within the substance of the casing. At 12 is a metallic plate which engages the casing 7. The sleeves 11 are each provided with an annular flange 13 which engages the plate 12 and holds the same firmly in position upon the casing. Screws 1% are dctschably fitted into the threaded sleeves 11.

The casing 7 is provided with a base plate 15 of insulating material serving as a.

support for'various metallic parts containedwithin the casing. A metallic plate l6 is provided with a beveled'surface 17, and rests flatly against another plate 18, which is disposed in immediate engagement with the plate 16 and is stationary in relation to the base plate 15. Two slide rods 19, 20

are connected integrally together and sup:

ported upon them is a button 21 which extends through ahole 22 in a face'plate23 which engages the flanges 13 of the sleeves 11 and is held rigidly in relation to these sleeves by aid of the screws 14-. The slide rod 20 is provided at its lower end with a lug 24 integral with it and inclined slightly as indicated in Fig. 1, forthe purpose of engaging the beveled surface 17, thus forming a limiting stop to prevent excessive upward travel of the slide rods 19, 20 and the button 21.

Disposed parallel with the stationary plate 16 is another stationary plate 25, the

guide 18 and the slide rods 19, .20 being disposed intermediate these two stationary plates. The stationary plate 25 is provided with :1 lug 26 integral with it and preferably made by bending one of its edges as indicated in Fig. ,1. The opposite edge of the plate 25 is bent so as to 'l'orm aprojecting flange '26 which comes out substantially flush with the outer face of'the plate 16. i

The slide rods 19, 20 are thus cfiectively encompassed on all sides and have no movement except a sliding movement in the gen cral direction of their length.

A roller 27 which normally rests in engagement with the lug 24, is journaled upon a crank arm 28, this crank arm beimg'integral with acrown wheel 29, as will be understood from Fig. 2. Mating the crown wheel 29 is another crownwheel 30, the lat being mounted rigidly upon revoluble it 1%. spring encircles the 1' 4 I Figs. 2 and 4), these-tongues extending shaft 31 and en ages the crank arm 28 and also a pin 32 -Tsee Fig. 1), this pin being mounted rigidly upon the'stationary late 16. The purpose of the spring32'is to eep the crank'arm 28 normally raised, and consequently to maintain the roller 27 in engagement with the lug 24; or in'other words,

. to retract; the crank arm 28 after each downward movement thereof; also by pressure against the under side of this lug to keep the button 21 and the slide rods 19,20 in their vided with/slots 37 of arcuate-forni, the

rial is a somewhatfsiinilar plav fjins ula'ting material, and projecting V from the 'plate42 is a metallicpin-43Z: TA metallic plate 44"is provided 'wi-thiton" ues 45 "which inner ends of these slots-being nearer to the sham 31 than are the outer ends of the slots. The purpose of this arrangement is to en able the slots 37, or rather, the*circumscrib- Pins 38 exten normally lodge against the shoulders'34 as ing walls thereof], to serve'as cams...

indicated in Fig. 3, and are adapteditobe moved toward the axis of the shaft 31 when-'- ever the can'r disk 36 is 'turnedjinflaiiclok- Wise direction, according to ..'this fignre b I ingther'eby momentarily relea omtheir engagement :withji'; the should ers 34. Each pin 38 is provided with a cylindrihiilfhead; 39 extendingiinto a slideway40}having*gen orally the hformof a trough}, lhisslidevvay is provided at it"sends with tqnguesaoe 7 (see.

through a, squarefplater tl 'of insulating' material and holding the slideway 40- thiererats-ta..-

extend through both-of the-p ates 41, '42 of insulating materialand hold the-latter together. The late 44 is'provided with a por-[ tion 46 where y it is connectedwith another plate 47, these plates being integral with each other. The plate 47 isjprovided with" contact points 48, 49 integral with it, the outer ends of the plate 44 (see Fig.5) also serving as contact points. The various parts shown in Fig. 4 (or in Fig. 5) together constitute a commutator which is mounted loosely upon the revoluble shaft 31 and is adapted to be turned relatively to the same.

A spiral spring 50 (see Fig. 2) encircles the shaft. 31 and is dis osed adjacent to the commutator, one end 0 this spring engaging through'itheslots. and

the pin 43 carried by the commutator and theother end of said spring engagin a pin 52,wh1ch is'mounted upon a cam isk .51. This "cam disk is mounted upon the shaft 31, andthough loose relatively to the sam it norma'lly rotates with the shaft, being for Figs. 2 and 7). Entering these notches is the shaft 31, as will be understood from Figs. 2 and 7. A lever 55 (see Figs. 1, 2 and 6)-is provided with a lobe 56 integral with it and is journaled upon a pin 57 near the bottom of theicasing so that the lever 55 is adapted to rock upon this in as a center. QThepartsare so arrange that rotation of thecam disk' 51 causes the lever 55 to rock, as will be understood from Fig. 7. Theupper end of the lever 55 carries indicator mechanism 55, the position of which may be noted through an opening 55", thereby enabling the operator to ascertain at a glance the condition of. the switch at any particular moment. Atj-5 59 are shown 'binding posts mounte'd 1ipon' standards 60 and 60. These standa'rds are of metal and are provided with laterally-branching wings 58 and61'inte'gral with'th em. These wings terminate incontactmembers 58 and 59, which extend partially into the path ofthe cominutator, as will beunderstood from the various: figures andparticularly Fig. 2, so that; theirotation of the commutator causes fthei-various contact members to be engaged and disengaged, thereby controlling the electric current. Connected with the rocking ;lever'.55- is a spiral spring 55 whereby the rocking lever, after each of its movements itol the left according to Fig. 1, is retracted. f

The operation of my device is as follows: .Inyorder. to give the spring 50 the proper degree of tension the cam disk. 51 is pushed a little to the left according to Fig. 2, the

pin; 54 being-thus dislodged from the channels 53. The cam disk 51 is next rotated to an'cxtcnt suilicient to .adjust the tension of -,it ism'oved to the right so that the pin 54 catches into the nearestmotch 53 and forms the'degree of tension given to it, though its tension may be cha'iwed at any time in accordance with the will of the operator.

various parts; it may be well to bear in mind that the shaft 31 always carries with it the crown disk 36, the relative position of these parts always remaining unchan ed, and further that the shaft in turning always carries Y 'ith it the cam disk 51 though the position of this cam disk, relatively to the shaft, may be adjusted at will from time to time; also that the plates 16, 18 and 25 together constithis purpose provided with n0tches 53 (see a positive lock. When this has been done. the spring 50 will maintain approximately a pin 54 which extends diametrically through r the spring 50 properly, and this being done In order to understand the action of the the commutator is now free to turn and is tute a slideway whichalways remains stationary; further, that the slideway 40, plates 41, 42 of insulatingmaterial and plates 44, 47 of metal, together constitute the commutator, which is revoluble in relation to the shaft 31. g; I

Suppose, now, that the operator depresses the button 21. The slide rods 19, 20 thereupon descend, the lug 24 moves the roller 27 downward, the crank arm 28 turns a quarter of a revolution, the tension of the spring 32 is increased and the cam disk 36 (carried by the shaft 31) turns a quarter of a revolution. In doing this (see Fig. 3) the pins 38 are forced inwardly toward the shaft 31, as above described, until finally the pins 38 clear the shoulders 34. Now, since the plate 25 is stationary, and the release of the pins 38 from the shoulders 34: leaves the cam disk 36 free to turn, and since because of the disengagement of the pins 38 under tension of the spring 50, the commutator quickly makes a quarter of a revolution. In executing this movement the pins 38, being guided by the slots 37, are again forced outwardly, that is, away from the shaft 31, and consequently the pins 38 lodge against the next pair of shoulders 34, thereby bringingthe commutatorabruptly to a stop. Upon the button 21 being again de ressed, the cycle of operations is repeated, t e commutator again moving abruptly a quarter of a revolution in the same direction and again being brought suddenly to a stop. The repeated depression of the button 21' thus causes the shaft 31 to rotate step by step, and each time it is rotated one step the commutator quickly turns a quarter of va revolution and stops abruptly.

Since the plates 44 and 47 are of conducting material, each time the commutator stops the stationary contact members are either thrown into or out of electrical communication with each other. As it is a mere matter of mechanical skill to multiply the stationary contact members and connections for the same, it is easy to vary the uses-to which theswitch may be applied.

It will be noted. from Fig. 3 that the rotation of the shaft 31 is positive and that the stopping of the commutator after each tension, and after the commutator moves,

the pins 38 necessarily lodge against the next succeeding shoulders 34 for the reason that the cam slots 37 positively guide the pins 38 slightly away from the shaft 31 as a center, and thus bring them into square alinement with the next pair of shoulders against which they must lodge.

Having thus described my invention, I- claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a switch, the combination of a revoluble shaft, a disk journaled loosely thereupon, a spring connected with said disk, a commutator mounted loosely upon said shaft and connected with said spring, and means controllable at will for adjusting the tension of said spring.

2. In a switch, the combination of a revoluble shaft, a commutator journaled thereupon, a spring connecting said commutator with said shaft for the purpose of intermittently turning said commutator faster than said shaft, contact mechanism to be opened and closed by movements of saidcommutator, a cam disk mounted rigidly upon said shaft and revoluble therewith, said cam disk being provided with an arcuate slot, one end of said slot being nearer than the other end thereof to said shaft, a pin carried by said BENJAMIN CHESTER WEBSTER,

Witnesses:

GEORGE T; HATHEWAY, EDGAR P. lVEns'rER. 

